Public Statements

Stabenow: Time to Stop Playing Politics and Extend Unemployment Insurance for Michigan Workers

Press Release

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) made the following statement regarding Senate Republican objections to legislation that she is co-sponsoring that will extend unemployment insurance benefits through the end of the year. It is estimated that w ithout this extension, over 90,000 people in Michigan, 1.5 million nationally, will have exhausted their unemployment insurance by the end of the year.

"I am disappointed that Senate Republican leadership has used partisan stall tactics over the past few weeks to deny thousands of workers in Michigan, and thousands more across the country, additional unemployment benefits in these tough economic times. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country, and middle-class families are struggling to put food on the table as workers continue searching for new jobs and train for new careers. Unfortunately, many of these families have already begun to see their benefits run out.

"These families cannot afford to wait. I call on the Republican leadership to put politics aside and support legislation to extend unemployment benefits.